October is the most metal month of the year (duh), so it’s fitting that there’s a new anthology coming from the king of horror film and soundtracks himself, John Carpenter. His upcoming Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998 isn’t “metal” in the traditional headbanger sense of the word, but this collection of his most memorable themes are immediately evocative of his most recognizable work – Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York, They Live and more. To help promote it, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross even released a new extended cover of Carpenter’s seminal Halloween theme on Friday, October 13. Clearly John Carpenter is metal AF.

There’s a lot of metal to like this month, so get to it. And as always, tell me what you think on Twitter, I’m @Lynchtacular.

UNWINNABLE METAL ALBUM OF THE MONTH The Black Dahlia Murder – NightbringersDEATH THRASH
One of the most undeniably likeable metal bands in the business, The Black Dahlia Murder are as cool as their music is brutal. Nightbringers finds the band realizing what is arguably their most aggressive and cohesive album since 2007’s Nocturnal. Which is remarkable considering the band has endured countless line-up changes (singer Trent Strnad and guitarist Brian Eschbach are the only two remaining original members) while releasing 8 studio albums, all on Metal Blade Records, since starting in 2001. The fact that Nightbringers is the largest direct to consumer pre-order ever for Metal Blade is a testimony to how beloved they are, how hard they work and how awesome Nightbringers is.

Grave Pleasures – MotherbloodDEATH ROCK
Break out your eyeliner and spark up a clove, Grave Pleasure’ new LP smashes up driving metal guitars with crooning gothy vocals to produce some of the catchiest bleak rock of the year.

And So I Watch You From Afar – The Endless ShimmeringINSTRUMENTAL POSI PROG
Lyrical, reverb-soaked guitar lines ping pong around stuttering time changes, soaking each sheet in droning sheets of instrumental metallic goodness.

Lo! – VestigalGUTTERAL POST
Best known for its disturbing, Pepto Bismal-inspired “Orca” video, Sydney, Australia’s Lo! returns to smash conventions and eardrums again on their 3rd full length (with an equally creep video for “Locust Christ”).

Veil of Maya – False IdolDJENTCORE
Here’s some metal for the kids, complete with djenty riffs aplenty, mangled screaming and soaring clean choruses, making it one of the busiest, catchiest and crushing-est releases of the year.

Korrupt – Preachers and CreaturesBLACK CROSSOVER
Part Kvelertak, part None More Black and all awesome, Norway’s latest crossover export focuses on anti-authority and anti-religious themes, all set to straight ahead blackened rock.

Archspire – Relentless MutationEXTREME TECH DEATH PROG
With the technical prowess of The Faceless and Necrophagist and the classical prog production chops of Muse, this Vancouver, BC, quartet wows with its surgical speed and cavernous interplay of guitars and rhythm section.

Casey Lynch is editorial director of Square Enix where he works on Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Hitman and more. His first metal show was Anthrax, Testament and Metal Church in 1987. Djent with him on Twitter @Lynchtacular.

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